Chapter 14: Just Kids

Stephanie decided she didn’t intend on returning to the cart camp. Not if she could help it! Whack!

“You little RAT!” She chased Phil with her swimming pool noodle, whirling it over her head. “I’ll teach you NOT to sneak up and ambush ME, you little twerp!”

Phil laughingly dodged and remained out of whacking range. Stevie ran out from between two empty shelving units and nailed one into the bleachers, if Phil’s head had been a baseball and the noodle a bat.

“I’ll get you, assassin!” Phil screamed! Stevie dashed away back between the racks taunting.

“Sissy Phil can dish it, but can’t take it!” laughing and running and Phil hot on his heels, and Stephanie, almost in whacking range, in hot pursuit after Phil. The three kids battled all over Walmart, except near the empty meat counter. That smelled of death. Putrefying blood and meat juices pooled somewhere stunk to heaven!

Thunder rolled outside, and boomed inside the nearly emptied warehouse store. Rain burst from the charcoal skies and drummed the parking lot. Subdued, the children were drawn to the broken entrance, wide eyed, watching the storm and squealing when a gust carried spray over them.

Stephanie decided now or never. “I’m not going back, unless you little guys need me to walk you all the way back! I’m done with mean old Brother Robert. I don’t like the way he looks at me.”

“We ain’t little guys! Just because you’re older and taller, doesn’t mean you’re braver. You’re a girl, and we’re men! We don’t NEED anybody!”

“OKAY! Tough guys. I’m sleeping here tonight. What’re you going to do?” Stephanie said bravely.

“What are YOU going to do when the dogs come prowling around after dark?” Phil grinned wickedly. “Mess your drawers, that’s what!”

“Will NOT!” She denied.

“Will TOO!” Stevie seconded Phil.

“I’m going to drag a mattress and pillows and sheets and blankets into the girls room. I’m going to barricade the door and have a peaceful dry, comfortable nights sleep!” Stephanie announced, her arms crossed over her thin chest.

“Will NOT!” Stevie assured her.

“Will TOO!” Stephanie was confident!

“No you WON’T!” challenged Phil.

“Yes I WILL!” retorted Stephanie.

“We won’t LET you! We’re going to pound on the door and make rackets all night long!” threatened Stevie.

“Better NOT!” threatened Stephanie.

“Yes we WILL!” boys in unison.

“I’ll sit on your head, break wind, and smother you!” Stephanie threatened Phil.

“He’d LIKE it!” Stevie annulled her sting.

“Would NOT!” Phil was angry.

“You said you wanted to wear her shorts on your head!” Stevie dodged and ducked Phil’s flurry of wild punches.

“Did NOT, you little traitor!” Phil should have taken the fifth. Even while Phil landed one between Stevie’s shoulder blades, and frequently backstabbed another fist into Stevie’s spine, Stevie was ecstatic in victory, as he was chased around.

“See! You ADMITTED it!” hahaheehee!. Stevie taunted!

“Knock it off, fellas!” Stephanie was suddenly serious. “We better get things set up, while we still got light to see!”

They began collecting and hoarding bedding in the girls bathroom. Stephanie wouldn’t sleep in the boys, and THEY weren’t sleeping ANYWHERE else without Stephanie.

When night fell, they huddled together in the girls room with an extra mattress wedged crosswise barricading the outward opening door. They tied a piece of rope to the door closer mechanism on the inside, and wrapped it around their bodies, to prevent the dogs from pulling the door open from the outside. Just in case, these dogs were canny about pulling open doors. Better safe than sorry! All three dozed off, but woke up in the pitch blackness, because something was scratching at the door. The scrabbling of paws sounded like it was trying to tunnel under. They were terrified!

Stephanie yelled, “GET OUT OF HERE!” They heard the paws fleeing. It was tense! Fear was still in the air, palpable! It was thick. You could taste the sour iron bitterness! Stephanie couldn’t stand the tension any longer. Had to DO something! “Is it true you wanted to wear my shorts on your head?” she asked Phil. Cracked them up! They laughed and giggled until they were exhausted. It was the release of tension, that maintained the gales of laughter, more than the joke itself. They slept eventually, till late morning.